When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich, but not too buttery (greasy) and I always start my “French custard” ice cream base with vanilla. So start with my basic vanilla ice cream recipe below (and customize it with your favorite flavors), then try all the other amazing recipes.
If you’re more into sorbet, which is its own icy treat, check out my guide on how to make sorbet.
When the first frozen dessert was created by the ancient Chinese, it was just a mixture of fruity syrups and snow, basically a sorbet. Not until the 18th century in England did you find the first ice cream made with milk, cream and eggs—no snow. Today homemade ice cream is still made this simple way. The secret to getting the perfect texture and flavor is not only the ingredients, but the technique of creating a custard and then freezing it.
Homemade Ice Cream Ingredients
These five ingredients are the basics for a delicious vanilla ice cream base that can be customized to your liking. Get the full recipe, plus more ice cream treats below!
Heavy Cream for a rich ice cream base.
Whole Milk to give texture and flavor. The fat is important.
Sugar for just enough sweetness.
A Vanilla Bean gives a wonderful, rich flavor that’s better than vanilla extract.
Egg Yolks for a custardy texture.
How to Make Homemade Ice Cream
You want to cook the cream, yolks, sugar and vanilla until the eggs thicken slightly, known as crème anglaise (English cream), and then chill the mixture overnight in the refrigerator, about 6 to 12 hours. This last step is a bit of a mystery, but it works to create the best mouthfeel. I have heard the overnight chill described as “maturing,” “ripening,” or “aging.” You get the picture, it gets better with age. I find when I do this extra step the result is smooth and less ice crystals form. The way big manufacturers get past this step is to add gums, starches, or gelatin. I’d rather not, so I just wait.
Once you have the base, you can put it in the freezer or add other flavors, like roasted banana, toasted pecans, brandied cherries and chocolate ganache.
Homemade Ice Cream Recipe
Vanilla Ice Cream Base
When making homemade ice cream, you have to start with a really great base, which for me means lusciously smooth, with a dense and silky texture. The flavor should be rich, but not too buttery (greasy) and I always start my "French custard" ice cream base with vanilla, there really isn't a flavor that it doesn't complement.
Heat the heavy cream, milk, vanilla bean and sugar in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat. The longer you let this mixture sit, the stronger the vanilla flavor will be. I often bring the mixture to a simmer, turn off the heat and let it steep for an hour or so. Before you continue with the recipe, you will need to bring it back to a simmer.
Whisk together the yolks in a medium sized bowl. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and whisk a small amount of the cream into the egg mixture. Add enough cream to warm the eggs.
Once the eggs are warm, add them back into the pot of remaining cream. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the custard over low heat. Continue stirring until the mixture starts to thicken.
When the custard seems to be getting thicker, lift the rubber spatula and run your finger through it. It is done when the custard clings to the spatula.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh strainer or chinois into a shallow dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and immediately place in the refrigerator.
Allow the custard to “ripen” for 6 to 12 hours for the best result. If you are in a rush, at least make sure the custard is thoroughly chilled. As you can see above that the custard will be quite thick once it has chilled.
If you want vanilla ice cream, freeze this custard in an Ice Cream Maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Strawberries roasted in a touch of balsamic concentrates the sugars and gets rid of excess water before mixing them in the ice cream base. Roasting the fruit first created the perfect flavor and texture.
A hint of wildflower is all you need to add unique depth of flavor to this wonderful ice cream sandwich recipe. Honey balances out the floral notes, and the result is a delicious and unique spin on a classic ice cream sandwich.
This Sweet Corn Ice Cream is truly brilliant. The taste of corn can be easily overpowered, so keep it simple. Nothing more than a bit of sugar, a touch of honey, lots of cream and a dash of vanilla. Inspired by Melissa Clark's recipe at the New York Times.
This Baked Alaska is a showstopper of a dessert. You can be as fancy as you’d like, making the ice cream and sorbet from scratch, or using store-bought. And your meringue can be crazy or tame, but lighting it on fire is not optional in my book!
This no-churn coffee ice cream is a delicious and simple recipe from Sarah Kieffer. Coffee and ice cream are perfect together, and the bitterness and sweetness is exactly what you want from a frozen bite. It's delicious sandwiched between two cookies.
The honey flavor is mellow and delicate with just a subtle hint of saffron in the ice cream. My family loved this recipe and I hope you do too! My ice cream inspiration came from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz.
There are some secrets to great ice cream. It doesn't have to be complicated or difficult, but having the right ingredients, technique and equipment can go a long way toward success. Here are 5 tips for creamy ice cream every time and a recipe for my family's favorite strawberry sour cream ice cream. This recipe comes from The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments.
This is my modern take on peach melba, fresh peaches with ice cream and croquant. Traditionally a Peach Melba is nothing more than peach, vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. I stuck to peaches throughout, so the ice cream and whipped cream have peach puree added to them.
Layers of strawberry, blueberry and coconut ice cream, covered in meringue and torched to perfection. A beautiful dessert and no oven required!This recipe requires you to plan ahead! You'll need to make three different ice cream recipes, freeze the ice cream layers in between, and macerate the strawberries two hours ahead of time. You can watch me assemble this in my Instagram story.
Inspired by Claudia Flemming's book, The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern from Random House, frozen Orange-Blossom Honey Mousse is topped with Blood Orange Sorbet to create my idea of the perfect creamsicle and then topped it with a Rosemary and Orange Meringue.
The inspiration for this dessert came from Instagram. I asked my followers what to make with 10 pounds of rambutan, the response was overwhelming for sorbet and panna cotta. So, this is my interpretation of those suggestions: Coconut Panna Cotta with Tropical Sorbet.
When it's hot and muggy, but you want a dessert to impress this S'mores Icebox Cake is the exact answer. All the best things about the classic summer camping dessert without the fire (okay, just a bit of blowtorching, but that's too fun to resist). Please note: this recipe makes A LOT of meringue for the dramatic effect shown in the photos.
A semifreddo is a cross between ice cream and mousse, but doesn't require any special equipment to prepare. The texture is smooth and luxurious when allowed to sit at room temperature until it just on the verge of melting, but still partially cold, hence the name.
I am in the process of making the roasted strawberry ice cream. Do I still let the vanilla base ‘ripen’ in the fridge 6-12 hours before adding the roasted strawberries in and then freezing?
Hi Sue–not at all! Thank you so much for commenting because you actually pointed out a technical issue we had that has now been fixed. You can now find the recipe in the post. Enjoy!
I’d really like to try this but can you tell me if it’s possible to use vanilla extract instead and how much? Also, is straining the mixture necessary?
Yes, you can use extract. I would start with 2 teaspoons and see if that is strong enough for your taste. I always strain just to make sure the ice cream base is as smooth as possible.
i made this ice cream today and i must say probably the BEST i have ever eaten. had never made custard or roasted bananas before so the recipe taught me a lot of new things. i have one question what is the purpose of passing custard through strainer?
I love homemade ice cream but can’t find the recipe I’m looking 4 eggless no wait ice cream is it possible? Grandma made it every Sunday growing up so creamy so yummy and it was mixed n made, any suggestions? Thanks…Debbie
I'm Zoë François and I love to bake. This is where I play with sugar and take the mystery out of baking everything from cookies to wedding cakes. More...
I am in the process of making the roasted strawberry ice cream. Do I still let the vanilla base ‘ripen’ in the fridge 6-12 hours before adding the roasted strawberries in and then freezing?
I must be stupid because I can’t find the recipe for the vanilla Base. I want to try some of these recipes but I need the base recipe
Hi Sue–not at all! Thank you so much for commenting because you actually pointed out a technical issue we had that has now been fixed. You can now find the recipe in the post. Enjoy!
I’d really like to try this but can you tell me if it’s possible to use vanilla extract instead and how much? Also, is straining the mixture necessary?
Hi Becca,
Yes, you can use extract. I would start with 2 teaspoons and see if that is strong enough for your taste. I always strain just to make sure the ice cream base is as smooth as possible.
Thanks, Zoë
i made this ice cream today and i must say probably the BEST i have ever eaten. had never made custard or roasted bananas before so the recipe taught me a lot of new things. i have one question what is the purpose of passing custard through strainer?
If there is not enough egg is there anything wrong? Can i add more egg later?
Hi Natalie,
Do you mean after the base is cooked? No, you can’t after the fact.
Thanks, Zoë
Hello Zoe,
thaks for the recipe which sound delicious.
Im’ a big fan of mango ice cream and wonder if I can use this base to make it.
Love your site……
Just made ice cream using your base recipe and my kitchen aid ice cream make – EXCELLENT! Best base I have tried yet – this is a keeper!
I hve just tried your ice cream recipie. Will churn it in the ice cream maker after the custard’s ‘ripen’. I am from malaysia btw.
Can you add the pecans or chocolate in the ice cream maker instead of mashing it by hand after?
Hi Heather,
You sure can.
Enjoy! Zoë
I love homemade ice cream but can’t find the recipe I’m looking 4 eggless no wait ice cream is it possible? Grandma made it every Sunday growing up so creamy so yummy and it was mixed n made, any suggestions? Thanks…Debbie
Hi Debbie,
Yes, indeed you can make ice cream without eggs, here are two recipes: http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2012/05/21/philadelphia-style-chocolate-ice-cream-no-eggs/ and http://zoebakescom.bigscoots-staging.com/2012/08/09/passion-fruit-baked-alaska-best-creamsicle-ever/
Enjoy, Zoë